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β‐lactams, the most common antibiotics globally, have resistance primarily determined by β‐lactamases. Human microbiota and β‐lactams influence mutually; however, β‐lactamase variety and abundance in the human microbiome remain partially understood. This study aimed to elucidate the diversity, abundance, and substrate spectrum of β‐lactamases. 1369 characterized β‐lactamases and 16 204 putative sequences are collected from protein databases. Upon clustering analysis and biochemical assays, nine proteins exhibiting less than 35% identity to those previously characterized are confirmed as β‐lactamases. These newly identified β‐lactamases originated from eight distinct clusters comprising 1163 β‐lactamases. Quantifying healthy participants (n = 2394) across 19 countries using functionally confirmed clusters revealed that Japan have the highest gut β‐lactamase abundance (log2[reads per million (RPM)] = 6.52) and Fiji have the lowest (log2[RPM] = 2.31). The β‐lactamase abundance is correlated with β‐lactam consumption (R = 0.50, p = 0.029) and income (R = 0.51, p = 0.024). Comparing individuals with ailments with healthy participants, β‐lactamase abundance in the gut is increased significantly in patients with colorectal cancer, cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer, and epilepsy. These outcomes provide insights into investigating antibiotic resistance, antibiotic stewardship, and gut microbiome‐antibiotic interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Spinal stenosis is a prevalent condition; however, the optimal surgical treatment for central lumbar stenosis remains controversial. This study compared the clinical outcomes and radiological parameters of 3 surgical methods: unilateral laminectomy bilateral decompression with unilateral biportal endoscopy (ULBD-UBE), conventional subtotal laminectomy (STL), and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF). Methods: This retrospective study included 86 patients, divided into ULBD-UBE (n=34), STL (n=24), and MIS-TLIF (n=28) groups. We evaluated demographics and perioperative factors and assessed clinical outcomes using the visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and neurogenic intermittent claudication (NIC). Radiological parameters assessed included lumbar lordosis, L4S1 Cobb angle (L4S1), T12S1 Cobb angle (T12S1), increased cross-sectional dural area (CSA), dynamic angulation (DA), dynamic slip (DS), and development of postoperative instability. Results: The ULBD-UBE group showed a significantly shorter hospital stay duration and operation time and reduced blood loss than the other groups (p<0.001). ULBD-UBE group showed a trend towards greater VAS and ODI improvement at 1 month and postoperative NIC symptom relief. Radiologically, MIS-TLIF group exhibited lower postoperative DA and DS (p<0.001), indicating higher postoperative stability. Postoperative instability was lower in the ULBD-UBE group (2.9%) than in the STL group (16.7%) and similar to the MIS-TLIF group (0.0%) (p=0.028). The CSA was highest in the MIS-TLIF group (295.5%) compared to that in the other groups (ULBD-UBE, 216.3%; STL, 245.2%) (p<0.001). Conclusion: Compared to other procedures, ULBD-UBE is a safe, effective, and viable surgical procedure for treating lumbar central stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to investigate the incidence of delayed-onset neurological deficits (DONDs), DOND-related reoperation rates following adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery, and efficacy of transverse process hooks (TPHs) at the uppermost instrumented vertebra (UIV) compared to pedicle screws (PSs). Methods: We included 90 consecutive patients who underwent instrumented fusion from the sacrum to the distal thoracic spine for ASD, with a minimum follow-up of 24 months. Clinical and radiological outcomes were compared between 33 patients in the TPH group and 57 patients in the PS group, using the Scoliosis Research Society-22 Outcomes questionnaire (SRS-22), Medical Outcomes Study Questionnaire Short-Form 36 (SF-36), and various spinal sagittal parameters. Results: While absent in the TPH group, myelopathy occurred in 15.8% of the PS group, wherein 15 patients underwent reoperation. The change in the proximal junctional angle, from the pre- to postoperative assessment, was lower in the TPH group than in the PS group (0.2 vs. 6.6, p=0.002). Postoperative facet degeneration in the PS group progressed more significantly than in the TPH group (0.5 vs. 0.1, p=0.002). Surgical outcomes were comparable for both groups, except for the back visual analogue scale (3.5 vs. 4.1, p=0.010) and SRS-22 domains, including pain and satisfaction (3.3 vs. 2.9, p=0.033; 3.7 vs. 3.3, p=0.041). No intergroup difference was observed in SF-36. Conclusion: Using TPHs at the UIV level can prevent DOND, and thereby prevent postoperative myelopathy that necessitates reoperation; thus, TPHs is preferable over PSs in ASD surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Spinal intramedullary hemangioblastoma is a rare and highly vascularized benign tumor. The characteristics of the tumor, its corresponding location, and surgical outcomes remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors and strategies for neurologic deterioration following hemangioblastoma surgery. Methods: A comprehensive retrospective analysis was undertaken to evaluate patients who underwent surgical intervention for intramedullary hemangioblastoma at our institution from 1993 to 2022. Patients with at least 1 year of follow-up data were included. The analysis covered patient demographics, pre- and post-operative modified McCormick scale (MMCS), tumor location, and tumor size. Results: This study included 25 cases. One-year after surgery, neurological deterioration was observed in five cases (20.0%), and neurological improvement was found in nine cases (36.0%). Five cases were ventrally located, and twelve cases were dorsally located. Ventrally located cases were larger in tumor axial size (p=0.029) than dorsal location tumors, resulting in poorer follow-up MMCS and a higher prevalence of von Hippel-Lindau syndrome (VHL) (p=0.042). Three of them were confirmed to be supplied by the anterior spinal artery. In the case of dorsally located cases, there was no neurologic deterioration. Conclusion: In intramedullary spinal cord hemangioblastomas, cases located ventrally had a higher incidence of neurological deterioration following surgery than those located dorsally or in intramedullary extramedullary cases. Ventrally located hemangioblastomas were larger than those in other locations. They were mainly supplied by the anterior spinal artery in VHL patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]